When it comes to financial inclusion, the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region is no stranger to innovations coming from the outset of the formal financial sector. In fact, microcredit and agent banking are prime examples that illustrate the willingness of both regulated and non-regulated institutions to adopt creative new solutions in the quest to improve access and quality of financial services for certain underserved sectors of the population. Successful innovations such as this have become intricately woven into the fabric of formal financial systems in the region. However, in the case of Fintech, the situation is different. A Fintech innovation goes beyond simply improving an existing financial service or enhancing back-office operations; it can be way more disruptive, nimble and massive than that. It can create an entirely new type of institution or even a completely new concept, testing new ways altogether for interacting with clients.

At the 3rd annual 2017 Winter Innovation Summit in Salt Lake City, Utah, from January 25–27, I had the opportunity to interact with many of the leading thinkers, policymakers, funders, nonprofits, social entrepreneurs, and academics from around the globe. Key themes included social impact investment, the role of data and evidence, communications, public-private partnerships, impact measurement, and research-based best practices in social services.

martes, 21 de febrero de 2017/Author: David Bloomgarden/Number of views (7227)/Comments (0)/ Article rating: No rating